


the devil on my shoulder

by wolfish_willow



Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 [3]
Category: The Babysitter (Movies - McG)
Genre: Blood, Bullying, Canonical Character Death, Cole is 14 because that was honestly my assumption about his age, Corruption, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Insecure Cole Johnson, It's not Underage because nothing happens between Cole and any of the adults, Murder, Ritual Murder, Self-Esteem Issues, Underage Drinking, Unhealthy Relationships, but his relationship with Bee isn't particularly appropriate, but it's brief, but like, especially since he's 16 in the sequel and it was supposed to be 2 years apart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfish_willow/pseuds/wolfish_willow
Summary: My take on how things could have gone if the cult had needed to manipulate Cole into helping/joining the ritual rather than needing to use his blood.--Or maybe it's not the scrapes that hurt. Maybe it's the fact that it feels like no matter what he does, he is always going to end up back here. On the ground, bruised and scraped and laughed at by people he's never done anything to.
Relationships: Cole & Bee (The Babysitter), Cole Johnson & Bee (The Babysitter)
Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042158
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	the devil on my shoulder

**Author's Note:**

> BIG thank you to Tatile for reading this over for me! Any remaining typos/mistakes are my own bc of course I went back and tweaked some things again after.
> 
> I almost tagged this Underage as a precaution, but since nothing ever happens between Cole and any of the adults/teens, it doesn't actually qualify. But the relationships, especially his relationship with Bee, felt creepy enough to warrant some kind of warning, so this is it! 
> 
> My first finished fic for this fandom! The writing style is kind of weird, but it's how this story wanted to be told so I hope it works for anyone reading it the way it worked for me.
> 
> Written for the prompt: Instead of Bee and her cult needing innocent blood to complete the ritual, they have to get innocent blood to JOIN the ritual and have to convince/manipulate Cole into signing his soul away.
> 
> It might not be quite what you wanted, but I hope that you enjoy it!

Cole's palms sting. He hates how much the scrapes hurt. How his eyes sting right along with them with the effort not to react. Not to give Jeremy the satisfaction of seeing him cry over something he _knows_ isn't worth it.

Or maybe it's not the scrapes that hurt. Maybe it's the fact that it feels like no matter what he does, he is always going to end up back here. On the ground, bruised and scraped and laughed at by people he's never done anything to.

Then she's there. Chasing Jeremy and his goons off with words Cole can't hear. Looking down at him but not down _on_ him. The wind catches her hair and she smiles as she takes his hand and soothes his burning skin. Kisses it better. The sting of tears fades along with the pain in his palms and it's easy to laugh when she tells him to punch them in the dick next time. He thinks, maybe she's right. Maybe he _should_ do something.

Maybe he _will_.

* * *

His parents are doing better.

They are.

His mom talks to his dad at dinner and it's more than _pass the salt_ which is better than a couple of months ago. They talk about the shows his dad is binge watching and his mom's attempts at getting the spiders out of the crawlspace.

But are they doing better _enough_?

He thinks about that a lot while he lies in bed. If they're going to end up divorced. If they're going to make him choose (if they're going to hope and hope and _hope_ that he doesn't choose them).

One of their weekends away, he looks at Bee and tells her all of this and she stares at him for a long time. He can't look away. He's frozen with her looking at him like she's not seeing _him_. Like she can see past him, through him, to what's underneath.

She rubs a hand across the top of his head. Scratches her long nails against his scalp. He swallows, clenches his hands into fists in his lap. Still can't look away and tries not to let what he's thinking about her show on his face.

Bee doesn't tell him that he shouldn't think that way. That, of course his parents love him. That they are doing this, spending weekends together (away from him) to get better _for_ him. Her eyes bore into his and she pets his head and she asks him what he would do, be willing to do, to change it.

He blinks. Thinks about the way his dad talks to him, like he isn't sure where he went wrong. The way his mom tries to be kind but feels the same way as his dad. Thinks about the way he's heard them talk to each other, if it can be called that, when they think he can't hear them. Remembers when he was a kid and it was different and he was...Maybe not _happy_ but happier because he would come home from another terrible day at school and know they would be there to make him feel better and he thinks.

What would he be willing to do to get that back?

He clears his throat and finally looks away, stares down at the space between them on the couch and says he doesn't know but he's lying and he knows it. Feels Bee's eyes on him and thinks she knows it, too, would know even if he didn't look away. The way she always seems to know the things he doesn't say.

She smiles crookedly and winks and suggests they stay up too late watching movies his parents would never approve of and eat all of the junk food in the house and it doesn't take much convincing at all for Cole to agree.

* * *

Bee picks him up from school sometimes. He's not sure if his parents pay her extra to do it on days they can't handle faking a smile for him after school. Hopes that isn't the reason. Hopes that maybe she likes him the way she says she does. That she would hang out with him even if they weren't paying her to.

He meets Max like that. Cole sees her jeep out front and walks toward it automatically before he sees a guy with dark hair and a sharp jawline in the passenger seat. Cole holds the straps of his backpack tighter. Digs his nails in and lets the scraping sound drown out the din of the other students and the pounding of blood in his ears.

He means to turn away, to start walking home, but is drawn in by Bee's voice calling his name, both of them waving him over. Jeremy knocks into him from behind as he passes by him and laughs at the way Cole's arms windmill to keep from falling over. His palms sting as though he's fallen anyway and Cole curls his hands into fists and thinks about what Bee told him to do and he _wants_ to.

Then Max, though Cole doesn't know his name yet, slides out of the jeep like someone who knows how to use their body. He's bigger than he looked sitting down. The glare on his face is dark and dangerous and pins Cole to his spot before he realizes it isn't being directed at _him_ , but at Jeremy who freezes when he looks over.

 _You got a problem with Cole?_ he asks, cracking his knuckles. Jeremy shakes his head, or at least Cole _thinks_ that's what he's doing. It's hard to tell when Jeremy's entire body seems to be shaking. His friends have all run away, leaving him to face this terrifying jock on his own and Cole grins.

The glare on Max's face melts away when he looks over Jeremy's shoulder. He smiles with his teeth and nods to the seat he left empty. Cole doesn't bother walking around Jeremy, lets his shoulder knock into him on his way. There are no words for the satisfaction he gets when Jeremy doesn't say anything.

Max gets into the seat behind him. His hand lands heavy on Cole's shoulder when he introduces himself. He recounts what just happened like it wasn't just thirty seconds ago, and laughs and congratulates Cole on the great burn, like knocking shoulders with his bully is anywhere near as cool as getting him to shake from a _look_. Bee winks at him and Cole, confused but no longer angry, relaxes into the seat and Max's hand and thanks him for the help. Max laughs even harder when Cole tells them it was probably kinder than punching him in the dick would have been.

Bee ruffles his hair, looking proud and happy and peels away from the school before Cole even gets his seatbelt on.

* * *

Bee introduces him to all of her friends.

Sonya takes his cheeks in her hands and stares at him for a long time. Long enough to be uncomfortable, but he doesn't move. She nods when she pulls away and he feels like he's passed a test he didn't know he had.

Allison drapes her arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. Her chest is at his eye level and he tries his best not to look. She laughs when he does. Pets his hair and tells him it's fine, he can look. His entire face heats up but he strangely doesn't feel like he's being made fun of.

John looks him up and down. He straightens Cole's shirt and tells Bee they need to find him some new clothes but he winks at him and says at least he's better than Max who seems to lose his shirt every five seconds. Having spent more time with Max than the rest of them so far, Cole laughs, easily avoiding the joking punch Max sends his way.

He's not sure what Bee told them to make them all treat him like he belongs here. Why they don't drop the act when Bee leaves the room. After weeks of it, he starts to realize maybe it _isn't_ an act. Maybe it's enough that Bee, for whatever reason, thinks he's cool.

* * *

Cole stops complaining about being too old to need a babysitter. His parents have never listened to him before. They aren't going to start now. 

Instead, he starts wishing his parents would leave for their hotel therapy weekends more often. He savors the time he gets to spend with Bee, with her friends who have started showing up on those weekends more often than not. He's afraid that when his parents finally _do_ realize he's too old for a babysitter, when they stop paying her, Bee will stop showing up at all.

Bee tells him not to be an idiot. He hasn't said anything about it. Hasn't said anything most of the evening. Somehow she knows what he's thinking without him having to. She pulls him up off the couch and starts one of their dances, swinging his arms around. Asks him why he thinks she would ever leave when he's the only one she gets to do this with.

She's got other friends, he says but she scoffs, still dancing. 

_None of them are you_ , she tells him like he's being ridiculous. Maybe he is. Maybe she _is_ his friend. Maybe getting paid to spend time with him really is a bonus and she would do it anyway.

He lets her pull him into their dance, follows where she leads. Lets himself believe she's telling the truth.

* * *

He has his first shot with them. There is a moment when he thinks about pouring it into one of the potted plants. Not because he's afraid to do something wrong while his parents are away (he's gotten used to ignoring their rules when they're gone). He doesn't want to show them what a kid he still is when he tries it. Knows he's going to mess up somehow.

But he does it. He downs it in one go the way he's seen other people do it and coughs at the unfamiliar burn trailing down his throat and to his gut. Allison laughs the same way she had when she caught him looking at her chest. The rest of them smile. Max punches his shoulder, says _that's my boy_ and Cole goes warm all over in a way that has nothing to do with the alcohol.

They pour him one more. _Your last one_ , Bee tells him. He's never felt so calm. His arms and legs are jello and his head feels floaty and he's surrounded by people who _like_ him and thinks he would do anything, give anything, if it meant they would keep him.

* * *

_What if I told you_ , Bee asks him one day on the drive home from school. She drapes her arm across the seat behind him. He can just feel the tips of her fingers tracing the back of his neck. It's hard to concentrate on what she's saying, but her voice is as serious as he's ever heard it and he forces himself to listen. _What if I told you there was a way you could get anything you wanted?_

He turns and stares at her. She's staring right back. The car is still moving and Cole should be worried about that. Should be gripping the dashboard or the door or the seat and gasping at her to look at the road, but he isn't. Doesn't. (Knows that nothing is going to happen to them while Bee is the one driving, even if he doesn't understand _why_ ).

 _Anything?_ he asks, thinking about Bee and Max and the rest of them. Remembering how often and how hard and how desperately he's wished that he could be a part of them as long as possible. Forever, if he could. How he hardly notices Jeremy at school anymore or worries about his parents and their fake smiles, pretending like they care.

She nods. The car slows to a stop in front of his house. Cole doesn't unbuckle the seatbelt right away. He picks at it, scratches his nails against the fabric and thinks and thinks and thinks.

He doesn't say anything but when he looks at her again she nods and gives him a crooked smile. She squeezes the back of his neck and tells him she'll see him later. He gets out of the jeep and watches her drive away, not moving until she's no longer in sight.

* * *

There is someone new with them tonight. He's tall and scrawny with crooked glasses and doesn't fit with the rest of them at all (worse than Cole doesn't). Cole stares at this new person, Samuel, long enough to make him squirm. Sonya tells him to be nice. He snorts and Sonya pats his cheek with a sweet smile, leading the confused newcomer into the living room.

Cole quirks his eyebrows at Bee. She winks at him, taking his arm in both of hers and holding him close. He swallows, relaxing into the line of heat she makes at his side.

 _Tonight's the night_ , she says. Max comes up behind them, wraps one of his big arms around Cole's shoulders. His grin is wide and full of teeth.

Max shakes him hard in his excitement of whatever tonight is. _Get ready_ , he says.

Cole doesn't ask what for. He thinks back to the other day, the question Bee had asked him. The one he hadn't given her an answer to. He looks at her now and her face goes soft. She kisses the side of his head, wiping the spot gently with her thumb after.

He follows her lead the way he always has (always will), walking with her into the room and joining the circle where the others have left a space for them. Samuel catches his eye before dropping his gaze to the floor. His shoulders twitch and Cole thinks this must be how he used to look all the time, before. Before he had Bee and her, _their_ friends.

He doesn't look like that anymore.

Cole sits between Bee and Max and joins in their spin the bottle version of truth or dare. He sticks to truth and they go easy on him. They haven't been playing long before the bottle lands on Bee. Max dares her to kiss everyone in the circle.

Cole's heart leaps into his throat. Bee makes her way around the circle. It feels like time slows down as she kisses Allison and Sonya. John gets more of a lick than a kiss and it eases some of the tension until she gets to Max. Cole is next. He doesn't breathe when she kneels in front of him and takes his face in her hands. Her lips are warm against his forehead and he closes his eyes, a shaky breath escaping him.

He blinks his eyes open when she pulls away, face still held in her hands. She wipes the spot in the same gentle way she'd done before and when she finally lets him go, Cole can breathe again.

Max punches his arm and winks when he looks. Cole's face is on fire but he can only helplessly smile back before he's drawn in by Samual standing up, backing away from Bee.

What a moron, Cole thinks, as he watches Samuel try to talk himself out of kissing the prettiest girl he's probably ever spoken to.

It takes some convincing and the rest of them turning around or closing their eyes before he nods. Cole can't keep his eyes closed, though. Is so focused on watching them that he doesn't notice the blades until Bee is lifting them up. There's a brief, too brief for what he's seeing, moment of panic when she drives them into Samuel's head.

She catches Cole's eyes and looks almost worried about how he's going to react. He should scream, the way Samuel had. Should turn and run up the stairs or out of his house. Get away from whatever is happening here.

He looks around the room at the rest of them and their too-calm, even gleeful faces. Watches John bring a golden cup up to catch the blood pouring out of Samuel's head and thinks _what would you be willing to do to get what you want?_ and he asks

_What do you need me to do?_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated <3


End file.
